The Criminal Justice Student Writer's Manual

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In this new edition of The Criminal Justice Student Writer's Manual, students learn the skills necessary to become good writers. Topics covered in the book include: Writing competently Formatting Citations Conducting research Position papers Article critiques Book reviews Annotated bibliographies Case studies Policy analysis papers

Preface

A Handbook of Style for Criminal Justice

Writing as Communication

Writing to Learn

The Writing Process

Writing Competently

Guidelines for the Competent Writer

Punctuation, Grammar, and Spelling

Page Formats

Preliminary Considerations

Margins

Pagination

Title Page

Abstract

Executive Summary

Outline Summary

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures

Text

Headings and Subheadings

Tables

Illustrations and Figures

Reference Listing

Appendices

References

Citing Sources

Preliminary Decisions

Citing Sources in ASA Format

Citing Sources in APA Format (revised)

How to Conduct Research in Criminal Justice

Organizing the Research Process

Gaining Control

Effective Research Methods

Ethical Use of Source Material

Information Sources and Distance Learning

Library Research

Criminal Justice on the World Wide Web (revised)

A Guide to Distance Learning

Writing Different Types of Criminal Justice Papers

Brief Writing Assignments

Reaction Papers

Article Critiques

Book Reviews (new sample book reviews)

Annotated Bibliographies (new section with examples)

Criminal Justice Agency Case Studies

What Is a Case Study?

Using Case Studies in Research

Limitations of the Case Study Method

Types of Case Studies Written in Criminal Justice

How to Conduct a Criminal Justice Agency Case Study

Elements of the Case Study Paper

A Sample Case Study (new)

Criminal Justice Policy Analysis Papers

What Is Policy Analysis?

Policy Analysis Research Proposals

Criminal Justice Policy Analysis Papers

A Sample Policy Analysis Paper (new)

Glossary

References

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

The more, complex criminal-justice systems become, the greater the need for clear, direct communication. The sad reality is that many people have difficulty writing a simple declarative sentence. In all areas of criminal justice, no skill is more important than the ability to get messages on paper clearly in order to get business done. If you learn to write well, you will be more valuable in whatever line of work you pursue. Administrators in criminal-justice agencies are looking for people who can condense a mass of data into one sheet of clear comment. They are looking for men and women who can report the day-to-day activities of a complex system concisely and accurately Administrators want more than undigested, descriptive data; they want to know what the experts in each area believe the data mean. This book is designed to help you improve your writing. You will find principles and guidelines to help you write complex reports as well as summarize information into condensed presentations. Good writers know and use the terminology of their discipline. 1n writing reports and professional communications, criminal-justice professionals often need to draw from the lexicon of several disciplines--e.g., law enforcement, forensics, psychology, sociology, law, and management. We have included a broad and extensive glossary to aid you in writing the assignments in this manual. As you continue to use this manual throughout your college and professional career, we hope your writing skills evolve and aid you in attaining your professional goals and objectives.